Jannik Sinner withdraws from US Open with knee injury as Alcaraz returns

Right knee injury forces tournament withdrawal

World No. 1 Jannik Sinner has announced his withdrawal from the 2026 US Open due to a right knee injury. The Italian player has not competed in an official match since winning his second consecutive Wimbledon title on 12 July 2026, where the knee problem initially emerged. To prepare for New York, Sinner previously withdrew from the Canadian Open and the Cincinnati Masters, undergoing clinical examinations in Milan and completing physiotherapy at the J Medical center in Turin. Recent on-court practice sessions in Monte Carlo showed that the pain had not subsided, leading Sinner and his medical team to cancel his trip to the United States.

Sinner released a statement explaining the medical decision and expressing his disappointment at missing the tournament.

Although I have been working hard with my team and with my medical staff, we have had to make the difficult decision not to compete at the US Open this year. We returned to the court in Monte Carlo in recent days and realized that I still need more time to recover from my right knee problem.

Reconfigured seeding and the return of Carlos Alcaraz

Sinner's withdrawal alters the men's singles draw ahead of the tournament start on 30 August in New York. Alexander Zverev, who won his first Grand Slam title in Paris earlier in the season, moves into the No. 1 seed position despite recording only two match victories during the North American hard-court swing. Carlos Alcaraz becomes the No. 2 seed, placing him on the opposite side of the draw from Zverev. Alcaraz is returning to competition after a four-month absence caused by a wrist injury sustained in Barcelona.

The ranking calculations leave Sinner's top ranking secure. Sinner held a 5,640-point lead over Alcaraz prior to the tournament. While Sinner will lose the 1,300 points earned by reaching the 2025 US Open final, Alcaraz must defend 2,000 points as the defending champion, ensuring Sinner remains world No. 1 at the end of the event. Novak Djokovic enters as the No. 4 seed and world No. 5 at 39 years old. Djokovic has played 20 matches across six tournaments in 2026 (the Australian Open, Indian Wells, Rome, Roland Garros, Wimbledon, and Cincinnati) and enters following a heat-related loss to Argentina's Thiago Tirante in Cincinnati.

Additional tournament withdrawals and recovery roadmap

The tournament roster registered further player withdrawals as Great Britain's Jack Draper and Denmark's Holger Rune both announced their absences. Draper attempted a comeback at the Cincinnati Masters but experienced recurring physical pain during a first-round defeat against Spain's Martin Landaluce. Rune decided against competing in New York to avoid risking a setback on hard courts after spending a full year recovering from a severe injury.

Sinner will remain in Europe with his medical and coaching staff to continue rehabilitation. The Italian team has targeted a return during the Asian swing, prioritizing the China Open in Beijing at the end of September and the Shanghai Masters in early October.